
Hosted by CBC · EN
Five days a week, Tom Power brings you candid conversations with the artists shaping our culture. Whether he’s chatting with A-listers or rising stars, his disarming warmth and meticulous research always gets below the surface, bringing us deeper into the art and lives of today's most compelling musicians, writers, actors and filmmakers.
As a Canadian institution, Q has attracted the biggest names in the world. But it's never been about the fame. It's always been about the art.
Since becoming the host of Q in October 2016, listeners have come to know Tom for his in-depth interviewing style (asking founding Wu-Tang Clan member RZA what was inside his teenage notebooks), his mischievous sense of humour (jokingly chiding actor Catherine O'Hara for her parenting skills in Home Alone), and his genuine enthusiasm and fearlessness (singing a duet with Mavis Staples).
You’re just as likely to hear from celebrities and cultural icons as you are to hear from emerging artists at the beginning of their career. Tom gives each and every artist the space to tell their story in their own words. He also has a track record for interviewing artists on the precipice of stardom, like Lizzo, Billie Eilish and Daniel Caesar, who appeared on Q well before they hit the mainstream.
On Q, we cover arts and culture in all its forms, including music, movies, film, TV, comedy, painting, photography, theatre, cinema, Broadway, fashion, dance, opera, documentaries, books, fiction and memoirs.
Look to our archives to hear some of Tom’s award-winning artist interviews, including his moving and insightful conversation with the Canadian actor Michael J. Fox, which was awarded the prestigious gold medal for best interview at the 2021 New York Festivals Radio Awards.
In 2022, Tom spoke with Friends star Matthew Perry in front of a live audience. Their warm and frank conversation about the actor's struggles with substance abuse struck a chord, leading to millions views on TikTok and Instagram, while also being picked up by news outlets internationally, including Vanity Fair and CNN.
Tom’s impactful discussions with top talent have included Adele, Bono, Chappell Roan, Pamela Anderson, Cate Blanchett, Dua Lipa, Cher, Denzel Washington, Mick Jagger, Florence Pugh, Francis Ford Coppola, Kristen Stewart, Emma Stone, Jim Carrey, Billy Porter, Tom Hanks, Jerry Seinfeld, Tyler Perry, Alicia Keys, Alan Moore, Bruce Springsteen, Dolly Parton, Barbra Streisand, Darren Aronofsky, Harry Styles, Simu Liu, Sean Penn, Sandra Bullock, Michaela Coel, Ryan Reynolds, Katy Perry, Neil Young, Shakira, George Clooney, Ava DuVernay, Omar Apollo, Trixie Mattel, Orville Peck, Big Sean, Anil Kapoor, Jane Fonda, Robert DeNiro, Antonio Banderas, Elton John, Celine Dion, Kerry Washington, Chuck D, Steven Soderbergh, Mikey Madison, Cillian Murphy, Sean Baker, Steve McQueen, Paris Hilton, Tay...

Constance Wu stars in a new sci-fi thriller, The Outer Threat, filmed right here in Canada. Constance is most recognizable for her role in Crazy Rich Asians, which earned her a Golden Globe nomination. She’s also the bestselling author of her memoir, Making a Scene. She joins guest host Garvia Bailey to talk about the new film, her craft, and her memoir.

Halifax-based duo Moira & Claire introduce their song, no hesitation, in Q’s recurring New Music segment. Their new album, it’s all a mess!, is out now.

What’s in the perfect party lunch? What movie was bad enough to make you walk out of a theatre? And would you DJ your own afterparty? Filmmaker D.W. Waterson answers these very important questions — and more — in a rapid-fire round of Getting to Know Q with Tom Power.

Carisa Hendrix a magician, comedian, fire eater, and the creative force behind the character Lucy Darling, a glamorous socialite who’s become an internet sensation. Guest host Gill Deacon speaks with the multi-talented Carisa as she prepares for a performance at Just for Laughs Montreal. She talks about finding a community of magicians in Calgary, breaking into the male-dominated field of magic, and the unlikely journey from sideshows and circus stages to the Guinness World Records and the legendary Magic Castle in Hollywood.

Oliver Jones died this week at the age of 91. In 2024, Tom Power visited the Canadian jazz legend at his home in Montreal to talk about his legacy in Canadian music, his relationship with his hero and role model Oscar Peterson, the time he played for Nelson Mandela, and the secret to playing music into your 90s.

Weird Al Yankovic is a pop culture icon known around the world for his parodies of mega-hits by artists like Madonna, Taylor Swift, and Michael Jackson. His most memorable hits include Amish Paradise, Eat It, and the platinum-selling White & Nerdy. With five Grammy awards and seventeen nominations, he's one of only three artists to chart in the Top 40 Billboard Hot 100 in four consecutive decades — the others being Madonna and Michael Jackson. Weird Al joins guest host Ali Hassan to look back on his illustrious career and discuss his current tour, Bigger & Weirder.

For his latest film, Canadian director Clement Virgo adapted the true story of a teenage girl who escapes the Antebellum South into an Afrofuturist fairytale. The film is called Steal Away and focuses on the relationship between a sheltered teenage girl named Fanny and a Black refugee named Cécile, who’s taken in by Fanny’s family. As their relationship deepens, obsession and jealousy arises, and picks at themes of class, immigration and womanhood. Clement stops by the Q studio to chat with guest host Garvia Bailey about why he wanted to challenge himself to tap into feminine energy to tell this story.

Ron Funches has built a career turning the things that once made him feel different into his greatest strengths. Once bullied in school for his soft and higher pitched voice, it’s now his trademark in standup, and helped launch his voice acting career. Ahead of a performance at Just for Laughs Montreal, Ron reflects on how fatherhood, his son’s autism diagnosis, and his own recent autism diagnosis after appearing on The Traitors, have changed his understanding of himself and the unique gifts that shape his comedy.

As an actor and theatre director, Rebecca Northan is all about being alive in the moment. She’s known for inviting the audience into her creative process, pulling them on-stage and getting them to improvise with her. Rebecca joins Q guest host Ali Hassan to talk about bringing that spirit of spontaneity to Vancouver’s Bard on the Beach festival with two shows, The Merry Wives of Windsor and Goblin: Oedipus. Plus, she talks about the joy of giving up control, trusting the crowd, and how improvisation has made her a “nicer human being.”

Luke Wilson stars in the new Netflix TV series, The Hawk, where he and Will Ferrell play rival pro-golfers. When the two work together, Will usually leads the scenes; but for the Hawk, Luke got to take charge. Q guest host Gill Deacon speaks with Luke about playing a smug pro-golfer on The Hawk and why working with Will Ferrell is both joyful and panic-inducing.